Chute and automatically opening or closing door for air-tight chambers.



m. 7l4,6l9. Patented Nov. 25, I902.

S P. STEVENSON. CHUTE'ANO AUTOMATICALLY OPENING OR CLOSING DOOR FOB AIR TIGHT CHAMBERS (Application filed Oct. 14, 1901.) (NI! NIMBL) enior luv n: Noam: PETERS co vnoTaun-m. wnsuma'rom n. c.

UNITED "TATES S. PRICE STEVENSON, OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

CHLlTE AND AUTOMATICALLY OPENING OR CLOSING DOOR FOR AIR-TIGHT CHAMBERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 714,619, dated November 25, 1902. t nason filed October 14, 1901. Serial No. 78,598. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, S. PRICE STEVENSON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at the city of Chester, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a cer: tain new and useful Chute and Automatically Opening or Closing Door for Air-Tight Chambers, Especially Adapted to Use for Ice-Storage Chambers, of which the following is a specification.

The nature of my invention consists in an inclined chute having a door opened by the descending load passing through it and closing automatically by gravitation as soon as the load has passed; and to this end it consists of a chute having an inclined bottom, a door hinged in said chute in inclined position when closed, and means of regulating the opening position; Fig. 6, a like section in a halfabove that of the delivery end of the chute,

open position, with a block of ice passing through it. Fig. 7 is a sectional enlarged view of the lower end of the door and packing, and Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the dash-pot.

Referring to the drawings, a represents the inclined floor or bottom of the chute, the angle of inclination of which should be sufficient to let a block of ice slide downwardly without pushing it.

b b are vertical parallel sides of the chute extending upwardly at the'end near the entrance of the chute to a height considerably and c is a cross-brace for supporting a dashpot. Both ends of the chute are open, and

the whole structure is supported and braced by a framework (Z and casings eand e. Fastened on the inner sides of the sides I) b are oblique strips or casings f f, which form shoulders 0r rabbets g g, against which the door it closes.

The door it is of such length or height as to largely exceed the greatest height to which it is required to be opened, and is attached by hinges at the upper end to the frame d, and is provided with a gasket or packing 1 on the under sides near the edges, which packing contacts with shoulders or rabbets g g on the strips f f.

A casing j, resting upon strips ff, closes the upper part of the chute, leaving an opening below of sufficient height to pass a block of ice. The strips ff, with their upper surfaces or shoulders g g, and the casingj are all in the same diagonal plane and form a valve seat, against which the door it closes, acting as a valve, and the sides I) b of the chute being parallel and close to the edges of the door restrict the flow of air-currents through the chute at the sides of the door h, so that when the door 7b is opened by the passing of a block of ice a minimum flow of air is permitted to pass through the chute.

The upper side of the casingjis in the same plane as the shoulders g g on the strips ff, and the packing or gasket 1} extends across the door, so as to contact with the casing j when the door is closed.

The proportion of the door in height or length from the opening below the casingj to the point of suspension of the hinges on the frame (1 are such that the ice on entering contacts with the door approximately at or below the center of gravity of the door. On the under side of the door is fastened a concave block 0, against which the ice strikes obliquely and avoids or moderates the shock of sudden contact in opening the door It.

The under surface and end of the doorhis covered by a metallic plate 12 to protect it from wear.

To the lower end of the door h there is attached a packing of felt, formed of two or more layers Z and l, secured by a batten 75, attached to the door It. The second layer of felt Z is longer than the first and has a strip of wood m attached to its upper side, which by its weight closes the end of the felt Z into contact with the floor.

To the middle of the door it on the upper side thereof are pivotally attached links 19 19, the upper ends of which are pivotallyconnected to a cross-head c on a piston-rod t, attached to a piston 3, working in a cylinder 25, having an opening u at the bottom of contracted dimensions, which acts as a dash-pot der the end of the door h leaves the door free to close by its weight at a velocity controlled by the escape of air from the dash-pot t.

The arrangement of proportioning the door so that the ice makes contact and imparts opening motion to the door at or below the center of gravity avoids destructive stress upon the hinges and distributes the force on the whole door.

By imparting the opening motion to the door it by means of the concave block 0 and restraining the closing action of the door It by the dash-pott shocks are avoided, and the whole structureincluding the packings have a great durability and certainty of action, and the chute being but little longer than the cake of ice passing through it and the sides extending above the door in the highest open position a minimum volume of air passes through the chute with the ice.

Having described my invention, what I claim is-- 1 In a chute and door for air-tight chambers, an inclined bottom, a hinged inclined door provided with a concave surface to receive opening motion, and a connected air piston and cylinder, arranged to retard the closing motion of the door as set forth.

2. In a chute and door for air-tight chambers an inclined bottomed chute having parallel sides embracing the door in opened and packings attached to said door arranged to contact with said casings in closed position as set forth.

3. In a chute and door for air-tight chambers, a chute having an inclined bottom and parallel sides with diagonal casings attached thereto, an oblique door hinged to work be tween said sides and to close on said casings, in combinationwith a packing of flexible material attached to the lower end' of said door and a strip attached to said packing to enforce contact of the packing with the bottom of the chute as set forth.

4. In a chute for air-tight chambers, a chute having an inclined bottom and parallel sides having oblique shoulders within said sides, adapted to contact with a corresponding oblique door, in combination with a door fitted towork in open and closed positions between said parallel sides and hinged from the upper part of the chute so as to present for contact in opening motion a point approximately at or below the center of gravity of the door substantially as set forth.

5. In a chute and door for air-tight chambers, a chute-frame and an inclined door hinged at the upper.end to said frame, in combination with a chute having parallel sides extending above saiddoor in its highest open position and fitting closely to the sides of said door as set forth and described.

S. PRICE STEVENSON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE HIRST, GEo. W. SOHREINER. 

